British Virgin Islands "Other Islands"

The BVI is considered one of the premier bareboat sailing destinations in the world, and the reason is geographic: 50 islands and cays spread across 59 square miles of protected water, with consistent trade winds, reliable anchoring, and almost nothing requiring serious open-ocean passage. You can sail a circuit of the main islands in a week and spend each night in a different anchorage. The infrastructure – moorings, provisioning, marina facilities – is designed for this and works well. Most people who understand sailing rate the BVI more highly than the neighbouring USVI.

The main islands – Tortola (the capital), Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada – each have a distinct character worth understanding.

Jost Van Dyke

A 4.5-square-mile island with no airport, accessible only by ferry from Tortola (about 20 minutes from West End). White Bay is the famous beach: a crescent of white sand with calm clear water and two beach bars that have become Caribbean institutions. The Soggy Dollar Bar is the original – it gets its name from the days when boats anchored offshore and guests swam to shore with wet wallets. The painkiller cocktail (rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, orange juice) was invented or popularised here and is the drink to order.

The beach fills on weekends with daytrippers from Tortola and St. John. Monday through Thursday mornings, before the flotilla of charter boats arrives, White Bay is tranquil. Foxy’s Tamarind Bar at Great Harbour is the island’s longest-standing beach venue and still hosts live music most evenings.

Virgin Gorda: The Baths

The Baths is the most photographed site in the BVI – a series of massive granite boulders creating grottos, pools, and passages along the southwestern shore of Virgin Gorda, the rock faces worn smooth by wave action over geological time. The swimming and snorkelling among the boulders is excellent; the shade and cool water in the grottoes make it one of the more physically pleasant sights in the Caribbean. Devil’s Bay National Park, adjacent, has a hiking trail with elevated views over the boulder landscape.

The Baths gets crowded from mid-morning when the charter day boats arrive. Go early (before 9am) or late afternoon. Spring Bay, a short walk away, has similar rock formations with fewer visitors.

Anegada

Unlike every other BVI island, Anegada is flat – a coral atoll rather than a volcanic formation, rising only a few feet above sea level. This makes it feel completely different from the rest of the chain: wide open, low horizon, endless sky. The island is surrounded by the largest coral reef in the northeastern Caribbean, and the reef system has been the graveyard for hundreds of ships over four centuries. The underwater visibility for diving and snorkelling is exceptional.

Anegada lobster is the specific reason to eat here. The island has been sustainably harvesting local Caribbean spiny lobster for generations; the preparation is simple (grilled whole, butter, lime) and the quality is the best available in the BVI. Several beach restaurants at Lobster Trap and Flash of Beauty serve it in season; call ahead to confirm availability.

Getting to Anegada requires a ferry (2-3 hours from Tortola, runs limited days per week) or a private charter. The extra effort keeps the visitor numbers low.

Cooper Island

Small, quiet, no cars, one beach resort. Cooper Island Beach Club is the reason to go: a well-regarded bar, restaurant, and small hotel operating with serious environmental credentials (solar power, water reclamation, coral restoration project on-site). The snorkelling off Manchioneel Bay is excellent and the absence of crowds is the main appeal. Day trip by private charter from Road Town takes about 45 minutes.

Practical Notes

The BVI uses the US dollar. Entry requirements and visa rules depend on nationality – check current requirements with the BVI Tourist Board or your embassy. Ferry connections between all main islands run several times daily; schedules change seasonally. Most accommodation books far ahead for the December-April dry season.